Today Only

by D. Love

  At that moment, I hear a new voice in the living room, that of Jett’s dad, Madison. He must be coming over to see us off. The way everyone is acting, it’s like we’re leaving for good. It kind of bothers me. Jett enters Em’s room, his gaze growing warm at the sight of her distress.

  "Em, you want to help me take care of something while I am gone?" he asks.

  "Of course!" Her eyes light up.

  "Hang on. I’ll be right back."

  Em and I exchange a look. Her sadness is lessened, replaced by eager curiosity. I’m silently thanking Jett for being so understanding. A few minutes later, Jett returns with a beautiful puppy. It’s all white with big green eyes.

  Em squeals then jumps off the bed and runs to the puppy. She wraps her arms around the wriggling pup that starts licking her.

  "She’s the best puppy ever!" she tells Jett.

  "You guessed right. She’s a girl, and her name is Rily," he says, smiling. "I took the R-i from Rye and the l-y from Emily and got Rily. I named her after you and your mom, Em. What do you think?"

  "I’ll be the best mommy ever!" Em exclaimed. "Rily is perfect!" She moves from the puppy long enough to give Jett a hug. "Thank you!" Then she reaches up and kisses him on the cheek. "I love you, Jett!"

  Jett’s smiling from ear-to-ear, one of his corny grins that makes me laugh.

  Em stands up. "Can I go show Nana?

  "Of course!" Jett and I say simultaneously.

  We follow her into the living room and watch Rily hop into Mom's lap on the sofa. That was all it took for Mom to fall in love with Rily, too. Em begins telling Mom about Rily's name and how she got it and how now she was Rily's mommy and needs to take very good care of her.

  "Yes, you do," Mom agrees. She turns to us. "It’s time for us to get on the road."

  I’m relieved when Em remains upbeat. She no longer looks sad now that she has a job of her own. She’s enamored by the playful puppy.

  "Em, I’m going to grab a blanket for Rily to sleep on and get him set up in the car," Katy says.

  "Em, Rye, come with me for a sec to my truck." Jett wave us towards the door. We trail him outside, and Em can’t stop talking about the puppy.

  Jett meets my gaze with a smile then walks to the side door of his truck. He opens it and retrieves a dog bed, bowl and bag of food, handing them to me. Then he pulls out a pink and black plaid bag that he gives to Em. On the side it reads, "Emily and Rily."

  I smile. It’s apparent how happy this is making her. Jett explains everything she needs to do. I’m not sure she’s listening; it’s a good thing Katy will be there to remember to walk the dog. Katy walks outside with Angie, Mark following.

  "Alright, let's get going girls." Katy calls cheerfully.

  Em gives us hugs and kisses and thanks Jett over and over again.

  "Be good, Em, and we’ll bring you and Riley a big surprise," Jett says.

  "When you get back, can we build her a house?" Em asks.

  "Of course!"

  I herd Em towards Katy’s car and fasten her in. Closing the door is so much harder than I expect. The kids are delighted with the dog that’s darting between them, trying to lick them both at once.

  With both the girls in the car, Katy waves as they pull away. I watch, until the car turns the corner at the first intersection, then take a deep breath and return to the house.

  Mom is telling the guys to make sure everything is in the car, so we can leave. I run to the bathroom then return to the living room, where everyone is waiting on me.

  "Don’t forget to call when you get there," Madison says for the third time tonight.

  "We will," I reassure him with a hug. "We’ll see you soon!" It’s tradition in my family to say see you soon instead of goodbye. Goodbye is so final.

  Every minute closer to meeting her friends makes Mom glow a little brighter. Her eyes crinkle in warmth and excitement, and her smile is bright.

  Mark is taking us to the hotel where we’re staying by the airport. We talk the entire way there, and half our conversations are about Mom’s friends. Our flight is early enough that we felt this the smartest option for us, so we’re not rushed or more stressed out in the morning.

  It’s an hour drive. Marks drops Mom and me at the curb. Ever the gentleman, Jett takes the heavy suitcases while Mom and I check in.

  "Enjoy your stay," the woman behind the counter tells us.

  Mark joins us. We go to the second floor, Jett hauling our luggage behind us, and check out the hotel room. It’s big and clean, the beds already turned down for the night.

  "Alright. Looks great," Mark says. "You all set for your trip?"

  "Yes!" Mom exclaims.

  "If you need anything, call."

  "We will."

  "Tell Em how much I love her and make sure she doesn’t leave Katy taking care of Riley," I say to him. "Millions of hugs for Em. We’ll bring her surprises."

  "Give Katy and both my girls hugs for me," Mom says.

  "Will do." Mark smiles.

  He leaves, and we settle in for the night, too tired to do much talking. Instead, we all just go straight to sleep. I’m so tired, I even forget to take my pills.

  The next morning, the sound of the hair dryer wakes me. I sit up, just as it shuts off, and I hear Mom walk out of the bathroom.

  "Hurry, honey," she urges me. "We need to eat breakfast and go."

  "Where is Jett at, Mom?" I ask, looking around.

  "He went down to see if he can buy a bottle of water, so you can take your medicine."

  "Oh." Ugh. The reason we always do my pills at night is because they make me queasy. At least I am able to sleep through the nausea. I’m hoping the combination of medications and the flight to Tennessee don’t make me sick by the end of the day.

  Jett enters a few minutes later and hands me a bottle of water.

  "Thank you," I say, taking it. Mom sits beside me with all my pills.

  The sight of them makes me angry today. The pills are always a reminder that there’s something horribly wrong with me. There are days where I almost forget about the tumor, until it’s pill time again. I don’t like having people taking care of me all the time; it’s not fair to them, and it makes me feel inadequate.

  Everyone tells me hoping and believing is the answer to my illness. I believe time is the answer for everything, although not many people seem to value it the way they should. They wake up in the morning, scheduling and planning, as if living through the day is a given. While most people are praying for cars, jobs or houses, I am only praying for one more day to spend with my daughter and Jett.

  "We need to get a move on," Mom says.

  I hurry into the shower, wishing the hot water would wash away my sad thoughts. It doesn’t, but the smile on Jett’s face when I exit the bathroom lifts my whole mood. I’m in awe of this man. I keep wondering how he is, deep inside. How does he manage to handle the suffering and sacrifice he must bear in order to stay with me?

  Most of all, I always wonder why me? What did he see in me months ago, when we met up for the Great Walk along the river?

  I don’t know. It’s possible I never will. But I love him for it.

  We leave the room. While we’re waiting for the elevator, Jett walks through the room one last time to ensure we didn’t forget anything. Our taxi is waiting outside the big double doors of the hotel. We pile in with our luggage, and Jett strikes up a conversation with the driver. They talk like they’re old friends and grow animated when they discuss who will win the World Series: the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox.

  Amused, I sit quietly in the backseat, hoping Jett doesn’t choose a team. People really can be too serious about their favorite sports teams. The last thing we need this morning is Jett choosing the wrong one, and suddenly, we’ll be walking to the airport. Mom is so excited, she can hardly sit still. I’m definitely not going to risk missing her flight over a sports team.

  Entertained by my thoughts, I listen to the two men argue over baseball
until we arrive at the curb for passengers of departing flights.

  I grab my suitcase by the handle, but Jett takes it from me. Normally, I’m okay with that, but traces of my earlier sense of inadequacy make me wonder if he’s ever disappointed that I’m not as strong as I should be. He’s smiling, and my fear lifts.

  Mom continues through the big automatic doors. We stand in line for half an hour before finally being checked in. Mom hands the women behind the counter my file with my medical records in it, which we brought in case anyone gives us problems about my medications.

  "Hang onto it," the woman responds. "You can present it to the flight attendants upstairs."

  "Okay." Mom’s worried. I can see it in her eyes. "Just so you know, there’s medicine in one of those bags. It’s important you don’t take it out." These words are directed to the assistant taking the suitcases.

  He nods in response, and I squeeze Mom’s shoulder to let her know it’s okay. I’m not too worried about the medications. We’ve got my records, after all.

  "Please proceed to the security checkpoint. Up the stairs, and have your tickets and identification in hand," the woman behind the counter tells us.

  We climb the stairs, and I’m breathless by the time we reach the top. Jett sits with me at a small café. I can see the strain in Mom’s face. After a brief rest, I stand up. I need to be strong for Mom’s sake, even if I’m feeling a bit worn down already. This trip is everything to her. I don’t want her worrying about me the entire time.

  Chapter Sixteen: Jett

  We stand in line for another hour, waiting to get through security. Rye is trying to hide her exhaustion, but Dee senses it. She’s tense and her smile is gone. I’m worried, too, about how this all is affecting Rye. Airports are never easy to navigate, but they’re downright miserable when one doesn’t feel well. The bond and love mother and daughter share is amazing to me. I just wish I could do something to help them both feel better. Truth be told, I’m getting irritated, too, with the lines and waiting.

  It is finally our turn to go. Taking off our shoes, jackets, and belts, we place them in tubs, along with our carry-ons. I walk through the X-ray machine without any issues. Rye is next. She comes through, but the officer on the other side stops hers by grabbing her arm.

  Pain crosses her face, along with surprise. She reaches down to try to remove his hand. He’s grabbed her right where her port is, which means he’s hurting her. The idea infuriates me. I approach,

  "Sir, can you please take your hand off her."

  "You need to step back, or I’ll have to call security to remove you," he replies with a glance at me.

  "Sir, she has a medical port in her arm, you’re hurting her," I snap. "Once again, I’m asking you to take your hand off of her arm, sir, and if you do not let her go now you will definitely need security!"

  He glances at her arm, unconcerned.

  "Please, please, let her go," Dee pleads. She’s close to crying, and I can understand why. Rye has dealt with enough pain. She doesn’t need this.

  "She has to stay here until she’s been through a search," the man replies.

  "Fine. We won’t go anywhere."

  Rye looks pale, almost like she could pass out.

  He takes the wand he was apparently waiting on from a colleague and runs it the length of Rye's body then waves it over the rest of her body. Stopping at the port, the officer gets on his radio to call someone. Rye tries to walk over to Dee and me. Dee has her medical records.

  The officer grabs her again in the same place and orders her not to move.

  This time, Dee and I can see some blood through her sweater.

  "What’s the issue?" a second officer asks as he arrives. It’s only luck that he stands between the first officer and me; I’m ready to deck someone.

  "She didn’t pass the X-ray or wand searches," the first officer explains.

  "Ma’am, do you have any weapons?" the second officer asks her.

  "Of course not," she replies.

  He runs the wand over her. "Are you aware you’re bleeding, ma’am?"

  "Yes, sir, I do know." She grips her arm, where the port is. "I have a medical port in my arm. When the officer grabbed me the second time, I think he might have damaged it."

  It takes him a minute to recover from his surprise. "Do you have medical papers?"

  Dee steps forward with Rye’s records. After a quick examination, the second officer approaches the other officer and speaks low enough that I could barely hear him. I only hear the part about whether or not the first officer asked her first about any medical issues.

  The second officer returns with the papers.

  "I’ll call the doctor on staff to have a look at it," he says, not unkindly. "I’m deeply sorry about this. If you’ll follow me."

  He escorts us into a private screening room for more privacy. The doctor arrives quickly, and I’m wondering why the rest of the airport can’t work at a similar speed. Dee helps Rye slide off her shirt, so that the doctor can get a closer look. I face the door so as not to make Rye feel more self-conscious.

  My eyes settle on the security lines outside, visible through the blinds of the private room. I want to walk right out there and wrap my hands around the officer's neck the same way he grabbed Rye's arm. I don’t know what is wrong with people today that they have no sense of common decency or professional courtesy. We’re not sheep being herded into the airport; we’re people. Brooding and angry, I’m praying the doctor doesn’t find any permanent damage to the port.

  "Good as new," the doctor says after a few minutes. "Again, I apologize for what happened. You all can continue straight to your departure gate." He leaves.

  I wait until I hear the rustling sounds of Rye pulling on her shirt stop.

  "I’m so sorry, baby," Dee says. "I’ll never let anything like this happen again."

  Dee takes on more responsibility than one person can possibly bear. I truly believe that – if Dee thought it was possible – she would accept Rye's tumor as her own, just so her daughter didn’t have to go through it. After all the time I’ve spent with them, I’m beginning to understand that feeling, and how strong Dee really is.

  We make it to our gate just as boarding starts. In the back of my mind, I start thinking about the return flight home. I am going to make sure an incident like this never repeats itself. I’m not entirely certain how, but there has to be a way to spare Rye the pain she just went through.

  We find our seats. Rye and I are on one side, sitting together, while Dee is straight across the aisle from us. I look between them. I have no idea how I am going to leave them in Nashville and feel comfortable about it. Rye lays her head on my shoulder, breathing deeply. I’m still boiling and want to punch something. I cannot believe they treated her like that.

  The sound of her breathing calms me. It slows, indicating she’ll soon be asleep. I sit as still as possible, so she can rest. The flight attendant comes by to see if we would like anything and I just shake my head and mouth thank you to her.

  Rye sleeps the entire flight. I’m starting to doze when the announcement overhead comes on that we’re beginning our descent. I gently tap Rye to wake her up then glance over at Dee, who smiles sadly. My heart breaks at the haunted look in her eyes. She’s been looking forward to this trip for so long, but it can’t take away all her worry.

  After we deplane, they grab a quick bite to eat while I go to the baggage claim and then arrange for a rental car. I make it back to the table, just as they are getting their food. I assume it’s too late to order and am happy the two women are eating. The waitress places a big, fat cheeseburger and fries in front of me.

  I smile slowly then look at Dee. She shrugs, so I glance over at Rye, who’s grinning.

  "With grease and all," she says and starts laughing.

  My first thought is she must be feeling better, for which I’m grateful. The nap on the plane did her good. We all start eating. The stress slowly seeps out of our bodies. I’m d
oing great, until I look at Rye. Seeing how fragile she is and knowing how sweet she is, I just want to strangle that officer at the airport. I force myself to let it go. This a special trip – for all of us – and I want to keep it that way.

  Chapter Seventeen: Rye

  We are arriving to the hotel, when I look back to see Mom's face. There’s a mixture of excitement and concern on her features. I know how much this trip means to her. I can’t help thinking she’d have more fun, if she didn’t bring me along. I warned her a few times something might happen with me and ruin her trip. I told her I could stay at home with Katy but she refused to listen. She insisted I come with her.

  Right now, it looks like she’s blushing.

  "Are you alright, Mom?" I ask.

  "Yes, honey."

  "Mom, what is it?" I can tell something is going on inside her head.

  "Nothing really, honey," she answers. "Just getting the jitters about meeting everyone. This trip is very special. It brings authors and readers together, and I get to meet them all!"

  "Mom, I am sure everything is will be wonderful." I smile at her. She’s adorable when she’s this excited.

  Jett pulls up close to the door of the hotel and lets us out. He deposits our luggage next to the car.

  "I’ll park and come back to grab these," he says.

  We stand there, waiting for him to return. The Tennessee summer heat is different than summer in Main. It’s starting to beat down on me. The humidity is heavy enough that it’s hard to breathe. I’m sweating. Jett returns after a few minutes, and we walk in to the hotel. Thank goodness there’s air conditioning! We are at the desk registering for our room, when I hear a woman call to Mom.

  "Dee, is that you? Oh my god! Is it really, finally you?" Her accent is thick.

  Bright pink creeps across Mom's face. We all turn to see a beautiful woman running down the hall towards us. She’s wearing a big, floppy, white hat that bounces with her quick gait and a black sundress with white butteries. She gives Mom a bear hug. It clicks who she is, about the time Jett pauses beside me.

  "This has got to be Jodie," he whispers.